As you may well have learned yesterday, early rock-and-roll great Fats Domino died at the age of 89. The pianist, who scored a string of hits in the 1950s, including “Blueberry Hill,” and sold 65 million records, was highly influential and truly a game-changer, given that he was one of the most prominent African-American artists to have ever recorded music.
A contemporary of Fats Domino’s and an equally influential rock legend, 84-year-old Little Richard—who is a veritable recluse these days—granted Rolling Stone‘s Andy Greene a rare interview to talk about his friend. Below, are the best snippets from the five-minute interview.
-Said Little Richard about catching his friend live back in the old days: “When I was a boy in Macon, Georgia, Fats used to come here. …I didn’t have the money to go see him, so I used to try and sneak in because I loved him. I loved his piano playing. I love his music, period.”
-Talking about his friend’s piano-playing style: “Well, he was just a little, short guy with little, biddy hands, and he could make a piano talk.”
-Among Little Richards’ favorite songs from Fats’ catalog are “Blueberry Hill,” “Goin’ Home,” and “The Fat Man.”
-Little Richards’ favorite memory of his friend was: “Whenever he saw me he’d go, ‘Open the door, Richard. Open the door, Richard.’ I’d say, ‘Fats, the door is already open. Come on in.’”
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
